24 Comments
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Alicia Paley's avatar

These have a quiet, desolate kind of beauty.

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Richard Partridge's avatar

What's interesting is some of these places have a lovely community feel ... others, not so!

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Ludwig Keck's avatar

Superbly photographed.

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Richard Partridge's avatar

You're very kind - thank you Ludwig

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Linda Blatnik's avatar

lots of cement

looking out

not looking in

hiding there

waiting to

leave

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Richard Partridge's avatar

Love it!

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Andrew Eberlin's avatar

Just my kind of photos and they look good in black and white.

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Richard Partridge's avatar

I thought you would like them Andrew!

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Davor Katusic's avatar

Ugly, but fascinating:)

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Richard Partridge's avatar

Some and some I'd say - there are a few here I'd agree are far from aesthetic - but others I find quite beautiful ... ( then again I do love this kind of architecture! )

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søren k. harbel's avatar

Super images. A step up from endless rows of non-descript red brick 2-up-2-down.

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Richard Partridge's avatar

Absolutely! Thank you Soren

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Juliette's avatar

Two thoughts: 1. I love buildings in monochrome and these in particular because they speak to where real people live. 2. I wish I hadn't sold my D750. That was one heck of a camera!

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Richard Partridge's avatar

Thank you Juliette - I somehow just prefer black and white. The D750 is a great camera - but mine has just gone into retirement after I've pretty much beaten the life out of it!

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Caroline Howard's avatar

I find the Alexandra Road Estate very pleasing in your photos. It’s harder to enjoy in real life because of all the clutter on the balconies. It’s an exacting architecture that demands order of its residents, perhaps to an unreasonable extent.

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Richard Partridge's avatar

Thank you - there are pictures of it when it was first built, and it looks incredible in its 'just-finished' form, un-modified by human touch ... there are a couple of pictures on this site:

https://www.maxfordham.com/projects/alexandra-road-estate

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Caroline Howard's avatar

Thank you for posting this link. I'm conflicted on this issue: Should architects should design for real people and the way they live their lives, or should residents elevate themselves to the level of the architecture?

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Gianni Simone's avatar

They surely look better than Japanese social housing

https://giannisimone.substack.com/p/new-towns-and-old-people

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Richard Partridge's avatar

Fascinating article Gianni - love it - I think i'd probably agree that these UK ones are a little more diverse

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Gianni Simone's avatar

Yep, in Japan they are made with a cookie cutter. The good thing about Japan is they never turn into drug dealer ghettos and gang battlefields.

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Marco & Sabrina's avatar

Brutally beautiful!

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Richard Partridge's avatar

Thank you - absolutely!

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Geert Huysman's avatar

Great World

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Richard Partridge's avatar

Thank you Geert

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